Paper fastener



Sept 1933- c. E. ANDERSON I PAPER FASTENER Filed Dec. 12. 1952 INVENTOR ATTORNE Patented Sept. 19, 1933 PATENT OFFICE 1,927,623 PAPER FASTENER Carl E. Anderson, East Orange, N. J., assignor to Eastern Tool & Mfg. 00., Bloomfield, N. J.

Application December 12, 1932 Serial No. 646,752

Claims.

This invention relates to an improved paper fastener of the class employed in fastening loose sheets together by means of two members which engage each other on the top of the paper and 5 use sliding latches for temporarily holding the members in assembled relation.

The object of the invention is to provide a paper fastener which. can be quickly applied as the latches not only present surfaces for easy positive engagement by the fingers but engage tongues which are provided with positive parts forengaging the latches.

Another object of the invention is to provide the tongues of the fastener with ends that furnish live resilient means for engagement with the latches.

Invention resides also in details which will be hereinafter more fully described and finally embodied in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a top view of a fastener in assembled binding position on a sheet. Figure 2 is a top view with the latches arranged in position before assembly is completed. Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 in Figure 1. Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4 in Figure 1.

The device comprises a base 10 which is an elongated strip usually ribbed as at 11 to give it more stiffness when very light metal is used. The ends of the base beyond the ends of the ribs are narrower and form tongues 12. This base is placed under the articles to be bound and the tongues are bent upwardly and pass through the papers or other material 13.

On top of the pad or sheets 13 is placed the keeper 14. The keeper 14 is made of sheet metal and is provided with perforations 15 near its ends. The perforations receive the tongues 12. The. tongues are readily bendable and are bent down toward each other over the keeper. I

The edges of the keeper are bent over as at 16 to form slideways 1'? in which latches are slidably retained.

The latches 18 have their ends 19 in the slideways 17 and their central portions are raised as at 20. These raised central portions are wider than the tongues 12 and freely slide over them except at the latching position. The latches are corrugated as at-21 which provides finger engaging surfaces for easy and positive engagement by the fingers of the hand. The under face of the corrugated latch furnishes the recesses 22.

The tongues each have a laterally arranged rib 65 23 near the end which rib engages the recesses 22 of a latch when the latch is slid over the end of the tongue.

The parts are assembled by placing the tongues 12 through the slots and then bringing them down. The latches are both slid over one tongue and then one of them is slid over the other tongue. The latches are then slid to engage the rib of its respective tongue. The latches are easily slid by reason of the corrugated surfaces of the latches and they are easily placed in latching position as 5 the engagement of a rib with a recess in the latch can be felt and also a clicking sound is heard. The sliding of the latch need not be carefully done at the latching position because if one recess passes beyond the rib the others engage it. This is an 7 advantage over a single recess and I prefer a number of corrugations on account of the repeated resistance to the sliding of the latch and the multiplicity of points where the latch is locked.

I prefer to insure the latching by more resiliency than that provided by the bend 24in the tongue. This is done bybending down the ends 25 ofth tongues beyond the ribs which gives a better spring'action when the ends 25 engage the top face of the keeper 14.

The slideways 16 are closed at 26 inside the perforations 15 which prevents the latches retreating far enough to cover the perforations and this in turn prevents the latches from getting in the way of the passage of the tongues through the keeper.

It will be evident that while I show only one rib 23 on each of the tongues, a series of such ribs may be placed along .the tongues to enable the latches to be held in position 'at other points besides the central part of the keeper.

I claim;- r

1. A paper fastener comprising a base member with bendable tongues at its ends, a keeper having slots at its ends for the passage of the tongues, 5 the keeper having its edges formed into slideways for latches, latches in said slideways, said latches being formed of laterally corrugated sheet metal to form gripping surface on the top' and latching edges on the bottom, the ends of the tongues each having a lateral corrugation to engage the under face of a latch.

2. A paper fastener as described in claim 1- and further characterized by having the ends of the tongues inclined to engage the keeper when the corrugation engages the latch.

3. A paper fastener as described in claim 1 and having the slideways for the latches closed at points to prevent the movement of the latches to or beyond the slots of the keeper.

4. A paper fastener comprising a base having bendable metal tongues at its ends, a keeper having slots at its ends and having its side edges turned over to form slideways and with the slideways terminating within the space between the slots, latches having their ends in the slideways and the central portions raised, the'latches having the raised portions corrugated laterally, the ends of the tongues having each a laterally arranged rib to engage the corrugations of the latches.

5. A paper fastener comprising a base ha bendable metal tongues at its ends, a keeper having slots at its ends and having its side edges turned over to form slideways and with the slideways terminating within the space between the slots, latches having their ends in the slideways and the central portions raised, the latches having the raised portions corrugated laterally, the ends of the tongues having each a laterally arranged rib' to engage the corrugations of .the latches, the ends of the tongues being inclined to engage the face or the keeper when in position to receive the latches whereby the spring action of the ends of tongues is increased.

CARL E. ANDERSON. 

